Denture flask de-waxer



Nov. 6, 1962 R. K. MALISZEWSKI 3,

DENTURE FLASK DE -WAXER Filed Sept. 16, 1959 W mmvrox W RICHARDK.MALI$ZEWSKI. J 32*. 70

FIG 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,061,898 DENTURE FLASK DE-WAXERRichard K. Maliszewski, Batavia, NY. (1318 Van Lare Road, Williamson,N.Y.) Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,416 1 Claim. (Cl. 229) Thisinvention relates to denture preparation, and more particularly toapparatus for facilitating the removal of wax during the preparation ofdentures.

In the preparation of dentures, it is usual to place the model in thelower half of a flask, filling in around the edges to secure the modelin place and provide a surrounding parting surface. Thereafter the modelis covered with a layer of wax, approximately a sixteenth of an inchthick, into which the sets of teeth are embedded. Thereafter, the upperhalf of the flask is added and filled with plaster, which when set,holds the teeth in position. At this point it is necessary to eliminatethe wax completely from the mold so that the denture material may beintroduced.

The removal of the wax is often accomplished by using water suflicientlyhot to melt the wax. The washing out of the wax by hot water, in usuallavatory equipment, results in a messy operation, a mixture of wax andwater, and a problem of preventing the wax accumulating in the drain.The present invention comprises a small open top vessel sufficientlydeep to hold sufficient water to immerse denture flasks therein, andhaving an electrical heater for raising the water temperature close tothe boiling point. The apparatus also includes a circulating pump, andnozzle for manually directing a stream of Water into the separatedhalves of the flask to flush the last vestige of wax from the mold.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear morefully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and arenot designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dental wax eliminator;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the vessel;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken subtantially on thebroken line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a Wiring diagram.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a shallow oblong open top vessel 8of a depth sufiicient to sub merge dental flasks, or about three tothree and a half inches. The length and width may be 12" x 6". Thecontainer may be an aluminum casting 10, the casting including aU-shaped resistance heating coil 12 cast in the under side as at 14, adrain 16, a centrifugal pumpcavity 18 on the underside of the containeraligned with and connected to the drain. The drain is provided with aperforate screen 21. The pump has a tangential outlet 20, comprising aport 22 which extends to the corner and thence up through a thickenedcorner of the container to the rim 23. The upper end of the conduit isprovided with a fitting 24, to which is attached a section of flexiblerubber hose 26, the latter having a plain nozzle 28 at its end, and aheat insulated sleeve or hand grip 29, adjacent the end.

The container is supported on a metal wrap around skirt 30, having aheight sufficient to house a motor 32 to drive the pump. The pumpchamber is closed by a bottom plate 34 having a bearing and stufling box38, through which the impeller shaft 40 extends. The impeller 39 isdriven by the motor 32, through a belt drive 42 and the motor is mountedon the bottom plate 46 which has ventilating apertures 48. The undersideof the vessel has an integral depending flange or plate like projection52, to which is attached a thermostat 56, and the latter may be adjustedby a knob 58 projecting through the front panel of the skirt.

The heater coil is adapted to be connected to the usual lightingcircuit, a plug receptacle 61 being provided. The heater is of aresistance such that water to a level of about two inches, in thecontainer, may be brought to a boil in about 15 minutes. A protectivefuse 59, which would burn out at a selected temperature above boilingmay be provided in circuit with the heater, and the thermostat control56 sensitive to temperatures either just below or above boiling butbelow the protective fuse temperature is provided to cut off power,should the container run dry and the temperature thus greatly exceed theboiling temperature. Such thermostat may be manually adjusted to anydesired temperature within the range set forth.

The flexible hose, connected to the outlet side of the pump has aninsulating sleeve for a hand grip near its nozzle end, and is ofsufiicient length to permit the nozzle to be conveniently projectedtoward denture molds or the parts thereof resting in the vessel, or heldover the vessel by tongs.

Switches 70 and 72 provide for control over the pump, and heater. Inpractice, a denture mold from which wax is to be removed is placed inthe vessel and submerged in water. Heat is then applied by closingswitch 72, which brings the temperature of the water gradually almost tothe boiling point, which thereby melts the wax. The flask may be pickedup by tongs, and separated and held over the container while nearboiling hot water is projected over the parts by the nozzle to removeall wax, the hot water being circulated by the centrifugal pump, whichis placed in operation at this time.

The melted wax thus removed floats on the surface of the water, and isthereby prevented from entering the pump through the drain outlet. Whenthe water cools down, the wax solidifies and may be readily removed fromthe water surface.

It will be appreciated that the vessel may be subse quently employed inthe processing of the denture material thereafter placed in the mold, byemploying the heater with the manual control over the temperaturethrough the thermostat.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

Denture flask dewaxing apparatus comprising an open top tapered wallrectangular and substantially flat bottom cast aluminum vessel having arectangualr rim, said vessel being adapted to contain water to a depthsuflicient to submerge a denture flask, electrical resistance heatingmeans cast integral in the underside of the bottom of the vessel to heatwater contained therein, a drain in the bottom of the vessel, acentrifugal pump chamber cast integral in the underside of the bottomwall of the vessel and communicating with the drain, said chamber havingan outlet extending to the rim of the vessel at one corner, a flexiblehose and nozzle connected to the outlet for directing a hot water streamupon denture mold cavities to melt and wash wax therefrom, said hosehaving a heat insulating sleeve disposed adjacent the nozzle as a manualgrip therefor, an integral flange depending from the underside of saidbottom, thermostatic control means mounted on said flange, electricallyconnected in circuit with said resistance heating means, a rectangularwrap around skirt disposed around the vessel and beneath the rim, and 5adapted to support the vessel in an elevated position, a bottom platesecured to the lower edge of said skirt, a cover plate for said pumpchamber having an impeller shaft bearing therein, an impeller in saidchamber, having a drive shaft depending from and extending through 10said bearing, a motor mounted on said plate, drivably connected withsaid impeller shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

